With access to the wind, oil, gas and solar we use to power our everyday lives, The Humber is at the wheel of driving the government’s target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Dubbed the nation’s ‘Energy Estuary’, The Humber has a historic role at the heart of UK energy production. It is home to several major oil and gas players and has committed ambition to become a leader in the transition towards cleaner energy.

Work is already underway. The Zero Carbon Humber project is a leading light in how a region can decarbonise its industry. A partnership of pioneering organisations, which include Equinor, British Steel and Centrica, the project is collectively drawing on the skills of different oil and gas players and wider industry to build the world's first net zero industrial cluster. With The Humber currently the most carbon intensive industrial cluster in the country, emitting 12.4 million tonnes a year, it’s a challenging but vital task.

Anchored in Zero Carbon Humber’s plan is to create a hydrogen economy for the region. Hydrogen is a low carbon fuel that can be used to power the essentials we need in everyday life – things like transport and heat. It’s becoming more widely used, including in trains and cars in place of oil-based fuels; and as its uses increase, so too will the demand for hydrogen production at scale, which The Humber is being primed to do.

It’s already happening. Equinor’s H2H Saltend plant is one of the first in the UK to develop the at-scale production of low carbon chemicals like hydrogen. The project plugs into Zero Carbon Humber’s decarbonisation plans, and once operational by 2027 will develop hydrogen fuel for use at Triton Power and Saltend Chemicals Park.

In addition to this, Equinor and SSE Thermal have recently joined forces on plans to create a first-of-its-kind hydrogen and carbon capture project. The Keadby 3 plant would see the decarbonisation of an existing power station using carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, and the Keadby Hydrogen plant will be the world’s first 100% hydrogen-fuelled power station, expected to account for one third of the UK’s 5GW hydrogen production goal. This has the potential to bring huge investment to the local area, with vast opportunities for job creation and reinvigoration in a region with long-established industrial prowess.

Innovation is the future of clean, green energy, and these projects provide a chance for The Humber to take the lead on decarbonisation initiatives. They highlight just some of the ways the region is growing to become a resilient and key player in the energy transition, directly supporting the creation of new jobs for the future and making vital contributions to the national effort today.  

The road to net zero is a long one, but we are committed to meeting this challenge and are already taking significant action. The goals can be met, and the UK offshore oil and gas industry, with its pioneering legacy, engineering capability and skilled workforce, is playing a leading role by making its operations greener while investing in the new technologies that will shape our energy future.